Network Security

ODNI to monitor its spies through wearable tech

The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence's (ODNI) advanced research funding unit is developing a project to assist U.S. intelligence firms in monitoring its spies through wearable devices.

Intelligence agencies will use the Multimodal Objective Sensing to Assess Individuals with Context (MOSAIC) project to select employees who possess the “psychological drivers, cognitive abilities, and mental wellness and resilience” required to endure the rigors of intelligence assignments.

The voluntary project, funded through the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), is creating a suite of customized wearable devices that agencies will use to analyze intelligence workers as they complete routine daily tasks. MOSAIC will also allow agencies to “better understand and anticipate changes in an individual that may impact their work effectiveness,” according to a pre-solicitation notice for the project.

Data gained during assessments could be used to monitor risks and prevent potential whistleblowers, although this goal was not highlighted as an immediate focus of the project. The Department of Defense is currently developing an

information-sharing platform to identify government employees who demonstrate “indications of insider threat behaviors or activities.”

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